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Were it not for the fact that the U.S. government has become the intolerable evil Thomas Paine alluded to, I would agree with Congressman Ryan. But the reality is that we have a criminal, Constitution-hating government headed by an angry young Marxist intent on bringing the United States down to the level of Third World countries. Sorry, but it’s a chess game whether Republicans like it or not. And if they refuse to play, they will get checkmated all over the board by default.

That said, I have to agree with Charles Krauthammer, who believes that Obama snookered Republicans on the so-called tax-compromise bill. However, to me, the most important reason Republicans should not have gone along with the tax compromise is that it was a continuation of their decades-old habit of acquiescing to Democratic blackmail. And with each new blackmail success by the Dems, the country moves further into debt, further to the left and further into the tar pit of tyranny.

Republicans should have checkmated the chess master in the White House on this one. By letting taxes go up on Jan. 1, they could have boxed Obama into a no-win situation: lower taxes on everybody, no estate taxes and no extension of unemployment benefits. (I italicized the latter because it was the heart and soul of the blackmail, yet pundits didn’t talk about it much.)

In this scenario, if Obama caved in and went along with a Republican version of a tax-and-spending reduction bill in January, he undoubtedly would have found himself with one or more primary challenges for the 2012 Democratic nomination – which is why I don’t believe he would have given in to Republicans.

More likely, he would have fought against them to the bitter end, even while the economy was moving toward the Greatest Depression. Then, he would have blamed the economic holocaust on higher taxes caused by the Republicans’ refusal to compromise – and Republicans could have had a field day campaigning on a promise to lower taxes for everyone.

While Obama has 35-40 percent of the electorate locked up regardless of what he does, he would have had to convince at least another 10 percent of the walking dead that higher taxes on the rich and increased spending would ultimately lead to entitlement nirvana.

Regardless, if Republicans make the mistake of running the wrong candidate (the best they could come up with in 2008 was John McCain!), they’re toast. But with a fearless, tax-cutting, anti-spending libertarian-centered conservative, they could win.

Bottom line: I never worry about Democrats. Trying to proselytize them is en enormous waste of time. But I do worry about Republicans, who seem eternally destined to give in to Democratic blackmail because they “have no choice.” Actually, strike the word eternally. If Republicans don’t man up soon, the job of fundamentally transforming the United States into a left-wing dictatorship cannot be more than a few short years away.

Sorry, but it’s a chess game whether Republicans like it or not. And if they refuse to play, they will get checkmated all over the board by default.

That said, I have to agree with Charles Krauthammer, who believes that Obama snookered Republicans on the so-called tax-compromise bill. However, to me, the most important reason Republicans should not have gone along with the tax compromise is that it was a continuation of their decades-old habit of acquiescing to Democratic blackmail. And with each new blackmail success by the Dems, the country moves further into debt, further to the left and further into the tar pit of tyranny.

Republicans should have checkmated the chess master in the White House on this one. By letting taxes go up on Jan. 1, they could have boxed Obama into a no-win situation: lower taxes on everybody, no estate taxes and no extension of unemployment benefits. (I italicized the latter because it was the heart and soul of the blackmail, yet pundits didn’t talk about it much.)

In this scenario, if Obama caved in and went along with a Republican version of a tax-and-spending reduction bill in January, he undoubtedly would have found himself with one or more primary challenges for the 2012 Democratic nomination – which is why I don’t believe he would have given in to Republicans.

More likely, he would have fought against them to the bitter end, even while the economy was moving toward the Greatest Depression. Then, he would have blamed the economic holocaust on higher taxes caused by the Republicans’ refusal to compromise – and Republicans could have had a field day campaigning on a promise to lower taxes for everyone.

While Obama has 35-40 percent of the electorate locked up regardless of what he does, he would have had to convince at least another 10 percent of the walking dead that higher taxes on the rich and increased spending would ultimately lead to entitlement nirvana.

Regardless, if Republicans make the mistake of running the wrong candidate (the best they could come up with in 2008 was John McCain!), they’re toast. But with a fearless, tax-cutting, anti-spending libertarian-centered conservative, they could win.

Bottom line: I never worry about Democrats. Trying to proselytize them is en enormous waste of time. But I do worry about Republicans, who seem eternally destined to give in to Democratic blackmail because they “have no choice.” Actually, strike the word eternally. If Republicans don’t man up soon, the job of fundamentally transforming the United States into a left-wing dictatorship cannot be more than a few short years away.